Breathing Problems For Twins

AP

Published: September 22, 1987

BALTIMORE, Sept. 21—
The Siamese twins separated by surgeons here two weeks ago were back on ventilators today because their lungs had partially collapsed.

The twins, 7-month-old boys who were born with the backs of their heads joined, had been taken off the breathing machines Friday, said Lisa Hillman, a spokeswoman for Johns Hopkins Hospital's Children's Center. They were returned to the machines Sunday.

They were separated in an extraordinary 22-hour operation that ended Sept. 6.

Ms. Hillman said today that the infants ''are breathing well with ventilator support,'' but that ''doctors anticipate they will remain on the ventilators for at least a week.''

She said that doctors did not know what caused the partial lung collapse but that it was considered a possible complication of surgery.

The boys, Patrick and Benjamin Binder of Ulm, West Germany, were in critical but stable condition, she said.

The twins remain sedated but have come out of a prolonged anesthetic coma in which they were placed after the operation to allow their brains to recover from the stress of the surgery, Ms. Hillman said.